You would think someone who went to school for as long as I have would have thought of this idea sooner. Degrees: three. Commonsense: zero. After ten years of looking at floppy, twisted stockings, I realized (with the same pride Lise Meitner must have felt when she discovered nuclear fission) I could stuff them with something innocuous until Christmas Eve, whereby toys and goodies would replace said stuffing and keep the stockings looking plump and pretty.
[pauses for applause]
I used plastic bags from the super market, of which I have many. Go ahead, judge me. I use them to dispose of Nichoals’s thrice daily diaper bombs. Uh huh. I knew you would understand. Anyway, four seems to be the magic number. The heel and toe each get one bag, stuffed firmly. The shaft needs only two loosely crumpled bags. I didn’t think the bags would add enough weight to keep the stockings straight, but it worked. Had the stockings continued to twist, I would have added dried beans or rice to the toes. (Now that I am coming up with brilliant ideas and all.)
For my next trick, I will attempt to finish decorating for Christmas before Christmas–or, at least before my inlaws show up on Sunday.
brilliant! they look so festive! what kind of hooks are you using to hang them? i had these really cute hooks with mini nutcrackers on top from Target but they kept falling and finally got the ax this year…we finally got the pre-lit tree up last nite but have to leave the ornaments for some time this week. exhausted already!
They are flat stocking hooks in silver. I believe I bought them at Target a few years ago. I used to have the kind you are talking about, but also in silver. I changed them out when I started decorating the mantel with candles, pine garland (fake) and some oranges from my trees. Last year I inadvertently allowed the candles to burn to low and they spilled wax all over my garland. So, my mantle isn’t decorated yet. This week I’m going to go to a Christmas tree farm and get some scraps or a garland, leave out the candles (maybe get some fake ones) and put up the oranges once they are ripe. But the stockings are done! :)
And this is why I come to this blog. You are pure genius! That is a great idea.
Your tree is gorgeous!
Thanks, Toi. :) You know, I actually don’t like my tree! I love my ornaments, but not the tree. The fabric matches our old house/furniture, and I haven’t replaced it because I want to wait until I have a new tree. I hate the tree we have. It was $11 on clearance, and not even worth that! The top half threatens to fall off if you so much as breath on it, which means I can’t even put up my star. The one that is up there is just a cheap paper one from Target–the lightest I could fine.
Great idea, Jules! I HATE that our stockings just hang limp and lifeless and twisted. I’m off to raid our “toxic waste” supply too.
Bravo !!!! but make sure that when the fire is on that the plastic is not going to get too hot and melt inside the stockings….oh that would not be a good thing. I cannot hang mine in front, mine go on both sides of fireplace, we have camping fires in ours…my Mister likes big fires…LOL
Ack! I didn’t even think of that, Esther! Holy moly…let me go check the stockings!
Okay, they are fine and we did have a big fire the other night. I think for safety measures, I’ll try re-stuffing them with newsprint/packing paper!
I have a thrice daily diaper bomber at my house too. And I continue to get plastic bags for the same purpose. What a great idea to stuff the stockings! We didn’t put ours up yet b/c the advent calendar/thingy is hanging on the fireplace right now instead.
Ha Ha! I wouldn’t have thought of it either. Nice one, Jules. Nice one.
OMG, that is genius! Now I am going to stuff them with all my extra plastic bags and re-take my sorry photo!
Dude, I HAD NEVER THOUGHT OF THAT! Now when I graduate with my master’s degree, I will truly know that I have learned something.
We don’t have any stockings up yet, mostly because I have the same frustration with their floppiness. Well, really mostly because I’m lazy, but partly because of said frustration. I’d never have thought to stuff them with bags or paper. Your idea is a genius one!!